When I moved a couple months ago I was in need of a new bed that wasn’t quite a bulky as my old monstrosity of a bed. I searched craigslist for cheap options but came up with nothing and finally found an Ikea bed that was just waiting to be made awesome. Check out this before and after picture. (I left off the bedding so you can really see the headboard.)
Supplies for this project:
- IKEA FJELLSE Bed Frame $40
- 2 Cans Spray Primer $8
- 2 Cans Krylon Island Splash Spray Paint $8
- Printed Chevron Canvas FREE!
Supplies on hand:
- Staple Gun with Staples
- Screwdriver
- Masking Tape
Despite being such a large project it was actually pretty simple. Since the IKEA beds come in boxes you don’t have to disassemble to paint. I didn’t even have to sand the bed. The unfinished wood was ready for painting. I just put on two coats of spray primer. I was also working on trying to paint a bookcase at the same time. You can see how that bookcase turned out on another post. So you might be able to cover the bed in one can of primer, I don’t know. And then an additional 2-3 coats of the Island Splash blue that I also used to paint my awesome surfboard inspired coffee table. I only bothered painting what would be visible to save on time and money. One mistake I did make was painting the wrong end of the shorter legs. So the bottom part is painted but the part you see is still white. Then I took the bed pieces from the workshop to my apartment and assembled.
I had my parents, who own a sign and graphics company, print me the chevron pattern on canvas. Forunately for me, they haven’t charged me for any work they’ve done for me (and it’s been quite a lot!) You could have a sign company print something like this for you, or find some fabric with a pattern you like to use.
Then I simply used some masking tape to hold the canvas in place and then used the staple gun to attach it. I’ve never used a staple gun before but after getting over being intimidated, it was kinda fun actually.
And then voila! A super cute bed is complete.
Here’s a close up of the pretty headboard.
Crafty Maddi 